Roasted Shrimp with Chile and Almonds

"I really can't get enough shrimp -- poached in a court bouillon with some coriander and bay leaves, grilled with lots of lemon, and like this: roasted with some heat from chile and some richness from almonds. I like to use a dried chile for this because that slow-burning spice unfolds more with each bite. While guajillo is my favorite, ancho or a few small arbol chiles would also do. The key is that balance of sweet briny shrimp, nutty rich almonds, and heat from a chile. Addictive."

Cook's notes: Guajillo is a mild to medium hot pepper, so taste before you use. Find in many well-stocked grocery stores or Hispanic markets.

Preliminaries: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grind pepper: Put the guajillo in a spice or coffee grinder, or in a food processor, and pulse until it forms a coarse powder. Avoid breathing in the pepper dust when you open the processor. Remove any large pieces.

Cook shrimp: Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Season the shrimp on both sides with salt and the chile powder. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the shrimp in a single layer and sear on the first side, 30 seconds. Quickly flip the shrimp over and put the skillet in the oven. Roast until the shrimp are cooked through and no longer translucent, 3-4 minutes.

Dress shrimp: Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the shrimp to a serving bowl. Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the almonds. Cook, stirring, until the almonds brown, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle the shrimp with the lemon juice and scatter the almonds over them. Serve immediately.